The study of state education policy mechanisms and goals in Arizona and California: a comparative analysis
Loading...
Date
1985
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of California, Riverside
Abstract
The primary purpose of the study was to investigate
the goals and mechanisms of education policies in the states
of Arizona and California. Specifically, the dissertation
examined alternative approaches taken to seven basic state
policy mechanisms (SPMs) and the related educational goals
pursued by those states. The goal of the study is concep
tual and exploratory rather than hypothesis testing. The
initial working hypothesis was that educational goals or
values control the selection of alternative approaches.
Procedurally the study:
(1) identifies alternative approaches in each of the seven
SPMs; (2) examines and differentiates the educational goals of the key actors; and (3) explores the relationship between
the goal preferences of the key actors and the level of
attention given to various approaches to policy content.
The study is a comparative case study employing three
data collection methods:
interviews, questionnaires, and
pertinent document analysis.
Interview respondents included
66 key education actors--34 in Arizona and 32 in California.
These were selected from four categories based on their
roles within the state educational policy system: appointed
officials in both legislative and executive staff offices;
elected officials; educational interest group representa
tives ; and two knowledgeable observers.
The study findings indicated that the identified SPMs
accurately describe and classify education policies in the
states. Additionally, a relationship was found between the
goal preferences of key actors and the state's emphasis on
particular policy approaches. From document analysis and
interview responses, it was found that among the four
educational goals studied (efficiency, equity, quality, and
choice), quality surfaced as the critical contemporary issue
in both states.
The findings of this study may have potential signif
icance for both scholars and policy makers. Scholars should
benefit from the availability of a taxonomic framework
capable of describing and comparing the diverse education
policies being pursued by various states, and policy makers,
by utilizing the framework, may be able to more quickly
identify and evaluate alternative strategies for improving
the performance of the public schools.
Description
Keywords
Policies, Arizona and California, Comparative Analysis, Education, Education Mechanisms